Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Backwater Reptiles, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Backwater Reptiles, Inc.

  5406 Crossings Dr Unit 102375 Rocklin, CA 95677

• 

  Backwater Reptiles, Inc.

  5406 Crossings Dr Unit 102375 Rocklin, CA 95677-3932

• 

  Backwater Reptiles

  810 Main Street Unit B Universal City, TX 78148

• 

  Backwater Reptiles, Inc.

  810 Main Cir Unit B Universal Cty, TX 78148

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/23/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought an iguana from this company and they were supposed to have the iguana next day overnighted and I was supposed to receive the iguana on January 19, **** it never even showed up until January 22, ****. My husband met ***** at the door and looked in the box and the iguana was deceased when it got here it was in a cardboard box inside of a Styrofoam box, inside of a mesh bag, and no breathing holes and no food. I have emailed the company multiple times with no response. I have asked if they replace the iguana and send me another one or send me a refund and still nothing. Their phone number also always goes straight to voicemail.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2024

  We are sorry that the customer is having issues with ***** however we are not ***** unfortunately. The customer is well aware of the claim policy with our company and if he would like to open a claim, he can contact us via email as stated in the contract he signed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/24/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: Company will not open emails that I sent to them of the dead animal I received. I am asking that they send me a new one ASAP or process a refund. 
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/25/2024

  We have never "not opened emails". Please email us, as stated on the website, if you wish to open a claim. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/31/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: They have done nothing but fight and argue with me about giving me a refund or replacing the iguana. They shipped this poor animal with no food, no water, inside of 2 boxes and a mesh bag it could not even breathe. I will be reaching out to law enforcement services and my attorney to get this handled. 
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2024

  Disagreeing with a customer or asking for follow up information, is not being "argumentative" however we understand that's their opinion. We have never shipped our animals with feeders or care instructions as that is the customers responsivity. We have been shipping this way for over 15+ years.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/15/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered two whites tree frogs on Jan 4. They arrived the next day I didnt get a tracking number until the frogs arrived. I signed for the frogs and opened the box. One was very healthy the other was dead. I took a picture of the dead frog and the box. Tried to email them, no luck, called their cell number and it said they werent available and the mailbox was full. I check my email at least 10 times a day. Tried the phone number multiple times. Always the same. I dont know how to get ahold of them.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/16/2024

  I'm unsure why the customer states they continued to call us when we state clearly on our website that our phone lines are down and we need to be contacted via email. Please see attached screenshot showing that we have never received an email from this customer from the email they provided. If they would like to open a claim, they need to contact us. We cannot be expected to help with an issue we were never contacted about.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/12/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a baby iguana. The company took my money and did not deliver my order. I would like to get my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/14/2023

  We have reached out to this customer more than 3 different times. If a customer refuses to check their inbox or read our emails, that is not a reflect of us. Again, as already stated to them various times, please check your inbox for the latest status update on your order which we have informed you about numerous times. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  November 19th I ordered a toad, it was 103$ I had 100$ so they said that was completely fine just Apple Pay us the money and Ill send you the order. I did. They never sent it and when I confronted them about them and showed them undeniable proof through screenshots I ordered this they just ignored me

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2023

  This person is being scammed by someone who is NOT us. He did NOT order from our website and is NOT a customer of ours. Please remove this review from our company page as we are not related to this in any way. We do not even accept Apply Pay as an option and would never have a customer  "text" us a payment for something to a personal phone number. We operate online like most all online companies with a checkout system and verified legitimate payment processing.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/28/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered a Leopard Gecko from this business one time, not only did they send me the incorrect morph but sent me and additional one for free normally people dont mind something extra free but this is a live animal I was not ready to accommodate for, because the animals life was at stake because I didnt have the necessary means to care for it I quickly took it to a local small business pet store that I know the owners on a personal level with so they could care for it properly. The happily took it and couldnt believe a business would do something like this. Also ordered some red eyed tree frogs and they were in pitiful health upon arrival, I did what I could to care for them and they quickly died one by one not long after the delivery date, I want to note I own 2 other ball pythons and 2 other amphibious frogs that I ordered from underground reptiles ( a different business) that are alive and healthy, I would not recommend ordering from backwater and highly advise to be careful if you are, they dont sent you what you order and their animals are not being cared for, please be mindful and careful when you order animals from businesses, dont make the mistake I did, they need to be shut down asap because when they are over stock they resort to sending free animals and dont even deliver what you asked for, when I called they didnt answer until the 5th time, (I called during business hours and different days) and the man I talked to was extremely rude and didnt care. End story, never order from here EVER!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 09/29/2023

  From what I can (or cannot) find our end, this is not a customer of ours and must be thinking of another company. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/09/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Yes I ordered a spider from these people and they refuse to answer my emails after I spent 90$ on a spider from them. It arrived deceased and I've messaged them I don't know how many times and they've told me they never sent me a spider yet I have the box and spider. And that I never paid them 90$ I want a replacement spider or my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2023

  Yes, this customer ordered an animal from ** and upon packing his order, we learned we were sold out of that animal. We emailed him and informed in to which he responded with a tantrum and claimed he disputed the charge. He could have simply asked for a refund and provided us an invoice number and the order would have been closed. He chose the difficult route and therefore we are in the middle of the dispute processes as it is. Please close this claim, there is nothing further to discuss. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2023

  I am rejecting this response because: I have emails regarding this entire transaction and not once do they accept that I bought a spider I was asked for item numbers which I never received all I received was a fed ex number. Everytime I tried to straighten things out with them I was given the run around and their guarantee was never honored nor was my money ever returned. Yes I was upset because they claimed I never ordered anything from them and they refused to accept that I did. Until they were confronted by BBB and my credit card company..
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  We reject their reply. We are currently working with their bank on their dispute and will be further discussing this on here. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/06/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have a male ******* Tortoise. I purchased a female ******* Tortoise online from Backwater Reptiles online. This was on August 23rd 2023. receipt #**********. They overnighted the turtle as promised. When the tortoise arrived, it was tied off in a cloth bag, and SEALED inside a very tiny box surrounded by foam, no fresh air. The turtle did technically arrive alive but it's health was questionable. It's p*** was like a clear mucus color and she was extremely lethargic, it was caked in mud and it's toe nails were almost a 1/2 inch long. It honestly looked like someone pulled it out of a mud puddle and sent it to me. 2 weeks later it died from being sick. I want to make it very clear that I have another tortoise, he's happy and healthy, the habitat and substrates are what's recommended for this type of turtle. The reason I'm reporting them is because I strongly believe they sent me a sick tortoise from sources unknown and refuse to replace the turtle or give me a refund. The business has a listed phone number but when you call it, it goes to a full mailbox and they just want to argue back and forth via email. There were closer to 10 emails back and forth today and they refuse to replace or refund the turtle. I have my credit card company investigating it as well. Please read their reviews, they are doing this to everyone. In the last month there are **** similar complaints of them sending dead animals and not being available to provide any customer service. They are literally ripping off the public. They respond to your emails but refuse to offer any solution and appear to be looking for any reason to blame the customer. It's unethical and certainly unprofessional. I would ask that someone in your department investigate the treatment of the animals as well as where they are being sourced. I am feeling cheated, and disappointed by the experience and after an entire day of trying to get resolution, my only option is to report them. Please look into this.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/07/2023

  We are currntly in the middle of working with the customer. I'm unsure why this ******************** was opened? It's only further delaying their assistance. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/07/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  Shortly after making the complaint  and the vendor and I came to a compromise 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 8/15/23 I ordered a soft shell turtle. This was a turtle picked out by my 9 yr old son who was spending his birthday money. The total for the turtle was $75 to include overnight shipping. We completed the payment and a screen popped up that the order was complete but we received no further information other than a shipping schedule which stated the turtle should arrive the following Wednesday. The following Wednesday came and went with no turtle so we gave it until Thursday just in case there was some kind of delay. Thursday came and went no turtle. So I called the company to inquire about our order. As you can imagine, the listed phone number went straight to voicemail (which was full), so I sent an email. The reply was that they needed my invoice number in order to give us information on our order. An invoice they never provided. I informed them there was no invoice and they stated I probably didnt complete the order. So, I sent them proof that the funds cleared my account the following day, which meant the order was, in fact completed. Then they asked for a transaction number, which I provided and their response was I didnt provide any valid proof that the order did not fully process. Mind you, I have asked to speak to a person on the phone, and they never agreed to talk to me , just kept sending me emails stating I cant prove this or that. The bottom line is, we paid, they received and processed our payment, and did not send us a turtle for that payment. Then they state we have no proof the order was made.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  This customer was fully refunded. There is nothing here to disucss. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/21/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Sunday, August 20, 2023, I made a purchase for a tortoise from Backwater Reptiles, Inc. After not receiving an email confirmation of the order, I was concerned about the legitimacy of the company. I went back to the website and emailed the company immediately to confirm that I was trying to order a Sulcata Tortoise, I feared the order processed was for a ******* tortoise after seeing the amount pending on my card and the price difference in the tortoises on their website. Since it was a Sunday, the company was closed, so I made sure to call them when they first opened today at 10 a.m. PST, and continued to call throughout the day. Every time I called, it went straight to voicemail - no message, just a generic voicemail. At 2:13 pm, I received a message saying the order already processed and there was nothing they could do, except "at my own cost" return the tortoise for the correct one. The company advised they saw my email "well after the order shipped." I continued to ask how this was possible and why I was not able to get a hold of anyone at their company. After numerous emails they responded that their "phone lines are broken." Upon further review, it seems this is a recurrent issue with numerous other customers complaining in the reviews. They are unreachable, do not offer customer service or assistance in any way. This company is a scam and should not be in business, especially when it comes to the welfare of live animals - which it also seems many customers have received deceased animals as well and reached out to the company to no avail, as their phone lines are always "broken." The email responses I have received in response to my concerns are juvenile and lack professionalism, adding to the doubt of the company's overall legitimacy.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  As already explained to the customer, her email was not reviewed until Monday when the pack had already been shipped. I've provided two different screenshots showing (1) where on our website we have this clear stated (not in fine print) so customers are well aware before placing their order and (2) a picture of an automatic reply email that is sent to EVERY email that comes through. It also specifically states that if you choose to email us over the weekend, you may not hear back until Monday due to low staffing. Unfortunately, this customer placed her order incorrectly and as already explained to her, that is not a reflection of our company. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/22/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:

  The response of the company is exactly what they did in responding to my numerous inquiries - it avoids accountability and the fact that they intentionally make themselves unavailable to customers until after an order is processed. My order was placed on Sunday, for what I thought was a Sulcata tortoise. Since the company does not send an emailed order confirmation, which I have never seen before, I checked my bank to see what amount was processed in case it was a scam. The amount was less than the cost of the Sulcata tortoise (plus shipping), so I immediately emailed the company that it appears the order was processed for a ******* tortoise instead. I received the auto response that said "...you may not hear back until Monday" if you emailed on the weekend. So I called them as soon as they opened Monday morning and continued to try them throughout the day. The phone was a generic mailbox - no company name or information - and it went straight to voicemail every time I called. After combing through reviews of the company, I saw this was a very common customer complaint - the company becomes unavailable after an order is placed and/or an animal arrives deceased. I then received an email from the company (incorrectly addressed to ********* that said they already processed my order, that it was for the wrong tortoise (a ******* tortoise), and the order could not be cancelled. I continued to ask the company why, if they are unable to respond to customers via email in a timely fashion (especially when dealing with the shipment of LIVE animals), that their phone was not on and going straight to voicemail. After numerous inquiries, I finally received the attached response that "Our phone lines are broken at this time." Again, this is a common customer complaint now that I have seen the numerous reviews. Because I was not able to see an order confirmation, and was not provided a confirmation even upon request, there is a question of how the order was even processed for the wrong tortoise - quite possibly another system flaw on their end. More importantly, the company blocks customers from contacting them for any reason, whether it be related to an order in process or the welfare of the animal received. They only began to respond to my emails after they said they already processed the order, despite having ample time to do so. If their phone lines were broken, they very well could have forwarded calls or updated their site to provide a legitimate phone number. But they didn't - strategically. They acted in bad faith, and there is evidence of this continued poor business practice deceiving customers and hiding behind "broken phone lines." I have not included screenshots of these reviews here, as they are available online for all, and they are not my material/review to share directly. Thank you. 

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/24/2023

  This customer does not qualify for a refund since the order has long shipped and been delivered. This is stated on our website and I've already provided BBB with a screenshot of that, in the previous response. Please re-review my previous response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/24/2023

  I am rejecting this response because the company states "This customer does not qualify for a refund since the order has long shipped and been delivered." Please provide documentation of what was ordered and what was shipped, if in fact your suggestion that what I ordered was delivered. Again, per my previous response and numerous attachments, there is no order confirmation. The company's Terms and Conditions also state "Rest assured, we are very reasonable and always work to keep our customers extremely pleased (not just satisfied)." This statement, as evidenced in this complaint and the documentation provided in support, is false. This company is littered with misrepresentations of the animals it provides, the process for the same, and the guarantees it puts forth. To date, the company has not been able to provide any documentation that what was ordered is what was received and has continued to hide behind lies and broken phone lines. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered a savanna ******* lizard from this company on June 22, named Back Water Reptiles. They guaranteed a live overnight shipment of *****. I agreed to pay ***** for overnight delivery. So went ahead and placed my order as soon as I clicked the button of submission a frame came up saying that because it was Thursday I wouldn't get my "overnight" delivery until Monday which is today. It is now 3 pm and my son been waiting all day for his overnight delivery which hasn't arrived yet. I proceed to call their customer help line and a voicemail comes up voicemail is full, I then use their email submission form to tell them that I need to know when my ordered animal will arrive. I then gave them my phone number in hopes that they would call me back. and put my phone number down for them to call me back and just as soon as I submit that form it says it's not working because of issues. So now I've been cheated and lied to and I'm out ***** Can you help me please? Thank you. I have nowhere else to turn. *****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/28/2023

  This customer is misunderstanding our shipping schedule. There is a copy of the schedule, a picture to help simplify understanding and a description of our shipping schedule on every animal ordering page on the website to help avoid confusion. We only have ever and will ever ship our animals via Overnight Mail---- overnight mail and next day shipping are not the same thing which is what is confusing the customer. Please see attached picture showing our shipping schedule. Regardless of what day we ship her order, it's still shipping via overnight mail, just as paid for. There will be no refund at this time since we are following everything by the book and there is no error (especially no lies) happening here.